Postpartum depression is common, it is not your fault, and it can be treated. Baby blues last two to three days and pass within the first week. If it lasts longer, it is something else. Help at the health station is free, but nobody may necessarily ask you – here are the words you can use yourself.
Baby blues last two to three days – postpartum depression lasts longer
Baby blues are normal and pass on their own. Between 50 and 80 per cent of all people who give birth get them (Helsenorge), and they usually last two to three days (Helsedirektoratet, IS-2057, 2014). They should be over within the first week after birth.
Postpartum depression is something else. It lasts longer and rarely goes away without help.
| Baby blues | Postpartum depression | |
|---|---|---|
| How common | 50–80 % of all who give birth | About 1 in 10 |
| When it starts | The first days after birth | During pregnancy or after birth |
| How long it lasts | Two to three days | Weeks or months |
| What helps | Rest, food, help at home | Conversations, treatment, sometimes medicine |
You do not need to wait and see if it passes. SamfunnPrep has a separate guide to the health station for babies (0–5 years), where all conversations are free.
How to recognise postpartum depression
About 1 in 10 people who give birth develop depressive symptoms, and about 1 in 20 develop more serious depression (Helsenorge, updated 18 May 2026). The Public Health Institute estimates that between 4,000 and 8,000 women in Norway develop postpartum depression each year.
About one-third start already during pregnancy. A midwife can bring it up then – see free pregnancy care and midwife. Most people feel better after six months, but it can take longer.
Common signs:
- you are down, sad or irritable almost all the time
- you cry easily, or you cannot enjoy the baby
- you cannot take the initiative, and you are exhausted
- you are anxious, forgetful or confused, and you have a lot of guilt
- you have persistent thoughts about losing control, or about harming yourself or the baby
The last point is not dangerous to say out loud, but it is reason to get in touch the same day.
Who is most at risk of postpartum depression?
First-time mothers have triple the risk of depression after birth (IS-2057, 2014). The risk of clinical depression is also about three times higher in the first five months after birth than one year later (Munk-Olsen, JAMA 2006).
The Health Directory lists these risk factors: previous depression, traumatic and stressful events, lack of network support, conflicts in the relationship, sole responsibility for the child, unexpected pregnancy, low self-esteem, foreign language and financial problems.
Several of them affect newly arrived families at the same time. There is no public Norwegian statistics that quantify the risk for women with immigrant backgrounds.
Who helps you, and what does it cost?
The health station and midwife in the municipality are free. At your GP you pay the usual out-of-pocket fee. The municipality has a duty to offer health station services and postnatal care, and should have a midwife, health nurse and psychologist (Health and Care Services Act § 3-2).
| Who | What they do | What it costs in 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Health station (health nurse) | Support conversations, extra consultations, referral | Free |
| Midwife in the municipality | Home visits after birth, follow-up check | Free |
| GP | Assessment, treatment, sick leave, referral | 179 kr during daytime, 301 kr in the evening |
| Municipal psychologist and low-threshold services | Conversations, in many municipalities without referral | Often free – ask the municipality |
At a specialist in general medicine, the out-of-pocket fee is 235 kr and 357 kr (Helsenorge, rates as of 1 January 2026). When you have paid over 3,278 kr in out-of-pocket fees in 2026, you automatically get a free card within three weeks. Note that the exemption for pregnant women applies to pregnancy checks, not appointments after birth. See also low-threshold mental health services in the municipality.
Nobody screens all mothers – how to bring it up yourself
The health station should ask you about your own mental health. It is a strong national recommendation from the Health Directory, and it applies to the home visit 7–10 days after birth, the 4-week check, the 6-week check and the consultations further on. But there is no guarantee that you will be asked.
Norway does not have national screening for postpartum depression. The EPDS questionnaire (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale) is not recommended for national screening, but can be used locally together with a support conversation. About one-third of municipalities use it (Helsedirektoratet, 2014), and each municipality decides for itself. Therefore, the services vary from municipality to municipality.
Then you must say it yourself. These sentences are enough:
- "I am not myself. It has lasted more than two weeks."
- "I cry every day."
- "I cannot enjoy the baby."
- "Can I have an extra conversation?"
- "I need an interpreter."
You can write the sentences on a note and give it to the health nurse.
"Will child services be notified if I say I cannot manage?"
No. Asking for help for depression does not trigger a notification. Healthcare personnel have confidentiality obligations (Health Personnel Act § 21), and the duty to report to child services applies to five precisely listed situations in the Health Personnel Act § 33:
- the child is abused, subjected to serious shortcomings in daily care or other serious care neglect
- the child has a life-threatening or serious illness or injury and does not receive examination or treatment
- a child with reduced functional ability or a child with special care needs does not have its special need for treatment or education met
- the child has shown serious behavioural difficulties
- the child is exploited for human trafficking
"Mother has depression" and "mother asked for help" are not on the list. If child services are involved, the main approach is voluntary assistance measures at home with the family, for example respite care or guidance (Child Welfare Act § 3-1). Read more about fear of child services – what the numbers actually show.
Information about your mental health is recorded, as a general rule, in your own medical record, not in the child's record.
You have the right to an interpreter – and children should never interpret for you
An interpreter should be used if needed at the health station, and it costs you nothing. Public bodies should use an interpreter when it is necessary to provide proper assistance (Interpreter Act § 6). Ask for an interpreter when you book your appointment.
Children should not be used to interpret (Interpreter Act § 4), and family members should not be used as interpreters in healthcare. Until 31 December 2026, an exemption applies from the requirement that the interpreter be qualified, i.e. listed in the National Interpreter Register. The obligation to obtain an interpreter still applies in full. More about the right to free interpretation.
On Zanzu.no, the Health Directory has information about pregnancy, birth and postnatal care in nine languages, including Arabic, Somali, Tigrinya, Farsi and Polish.
Fathers and partners get it too
About 7 per cent of fathers develop postpartum depression, and the incidence increases when the mother is affected (Helsedirektoratet, Danish study). The health station should look for signs in mother, father and partner. Father or partner can also book an appointment with their own GP.
When is it acute, and who do you call then?
If you have thoughts of harming yourself or the baby, call now. Do not wait until the next check-up.
- 113 when life is at stake.
- 116 117 medical emergency, open 24 hours. It is free to call; the appointment itself costs an out-of-pocket fee.
- 116 123 Mental Health Helpline (Mental Helse). Open 24 hours, free and anonymous.
- 116 123, option 2 Parental support (Foreldresupport), a separate 24-hour line for parents, with chat.
Postpartum psychosis is rare, but acute. It affects 1–2 in 1,000 who give birth, i.e. 60–120 women in Norway per year, usually within six weeks of birth. Call 113 or 116 117 immediately.
Postpartum depression passes with help, and the help begins with one sentence to the health nurse. How the health station, GP and municipality connect is also part of the citizenship exam – practise free on SamfunnPrep.
